-ű

See also: Appendix:Variations of "u"

Hungarian

Etymology

First attested in c. 1350. Of the same origin as the -ó/-ő diminutive suffix. Later it split from the latter as an adjective-forming suffix meaning “possessing something”. Originally, the variants occurred equally both as a diminutive suffix and as an adjective-forming suffix. This mix of forms resulted in a division of senses.^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [yː]

Suffix

-ű

1. (adjective-forming suffix) Added to a noun to form an adjective denoting possession or similarity. It is used only in parasynthetic compounds, requiring a preceding adjective or a compound structure. Similar in function to English -ed.

   hét (“seven”) + fej (“head”) → hétfejű sárkány (“seven-headed dragon”)

   jó szív (“kind heart”) → kind-hearted

   darázsderekú (“wasp-waisted”)

2. (obsolete present-participle suffix) Found today only in a few words such as gyönyörű (“beautiful”, adjective), fésű (“comb”, noun), sűrű (“thick”, adjective).

Usage notes

• (adjective-forming suffix): Variants:

  -ú is added to back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -ű is added to front-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -jú is added to back-vowel words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-.

  -jű is added to front-vowel words ending in a vowel. Final -e changes to -é-.

• (present-participle suffix) Variants:

  -ó is added to back-vowel verbs

  -ő is added to front-vowel verbs

  -ú is added to back-vowel verbs, obsolete

  homorú, nyomorú, szigorú

  -ű is added to front-vowel verbs, obsolete

  keserű, seprű

Declension

Inflection (stem in -e-, front rounded harmony)
	singular	plural
nominative	-ű	-űek
accusative	-űt	-űeket
dative	-űnek	-űeknek
instrumental	-űvel	-űekkel
causal-final	-űért	-űekért
translative	-űvé	-űekké
terminative	-űig	-űekig
essive-formal	-űként	-űekként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	-űben	-űekben
superessive	-űn	-űeken
adessive	-űnél	-űeknél
illative	-űbe	-űekbe
sublative	-űre	-űekre
allative	-űhöz	-űekhez
elative	-űből	-űekből
delative	-űről	-űekről
ablative	-űtől	-űektől
non-attributive possessive - singular	-űé	-űeké
non-attributive possessive - plural	-űéi	-űekéi

Derived terms

Hungarian adjectives suffixed with -ű

See also

• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

References

1. -ű in Zaicz, Gábor (ed.). Etimológiai szótár: Magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete (‘Dictionary of Etymology: The origin of Hungarian words and affixes’). Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2006, →ISBN.  (See also its 2nd edition.)